title: High incidence of urinary stones in Uyghur children may be related to local environmental factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the causes of urolithiasis in Uyghur children from Xinjiang.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the clinical features and characteristics of urinary stone composition of 220 Uyghur pediatric patients with urolithiasis between March 2009 and June 2011. The data were compared with that of 100 Uyghur children without urolithiasis who visited the Child Care Clinic for regular health check-ups. The stones were collected by endoscopy or open surgery, and analyzed using infrared spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the 220 Uyghur children was 7.48 ± 4.73 years (range, 0.8-17.0 years). The overall sex ratio (male:female) was 2.23:1. The predominant pure stone was ammonium urate (58.9%), whereas the predominant mixed stone was calcium oxalate mixture (91.1%). Uric acid stones comprised 54% of all stones. Urinary tract infections were observed in 42.3% and 4.0% of the patient and control groups, respectively. The mean urinary pH values were 5.77 ± 0.67 and 6.42 ± 0.67, respectively (p < 0.001). pH values were <5.5 in 52.7% and 6% of the patient and control groups, respectively. On 24-h urine analysis, we found metabolic disturbances in these patients: hypercalciuria in 6.8% cases, hyperphosphaturia in 16.8% cases, hyperuricosuria in 21.4% cases, and hypomagnesiuria in 34.1% cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urolithiasis in Uyghur children may be primarily related to local environmental factors.
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Clinic College, Anhui Medical University, No. 84 Meishan Road, Chushan Area, Hefei 200135, China.
authors.forename: Aikebaier
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wumaner
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, No. 91 Tianchi Roud, Tianshan Area, Urumqi 830001, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Aziguli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keremu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, First People's Hospital of Kashi, No. 66 Yingbin Road, Kashi 844000, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Dilixiati
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wumaier
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Clinic College, Anhui Medical University, No. 84 Meishan Road, Chushan Area, Hefei 200135, China. Electronic address: wangqing1570@126.com.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000379:methods; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000379:methods; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D002129:Calcium Oxalate; D014527:Uric Acid
keywords: Urinary stone composition; Urolithiasis; Uyghur children